Indie Fund calls for submissions

Developer collective hands out cash to promising independent projects

The Indie Fund, a project created by a body of developers including 2D Boy, thatgamecompany and Jonathon Blow, is now accepting submissions.

"Indie Fund aims to support the growth of games as a medium by helping indie developers get financially independent and stay financially independent," reads the scheme's official ethos. The coffers are stocked by the developers behind the fund, who have all found great success with their own independent projects in the past.

Successful applicants will be given monthly payments to cover their games' ongoing costs, with the repayment model requiring the eventual return of the investment and "a small percentage of the revenue." However, repayment is annulled if the resulting game does not generate enough revenue with three years.

While the Fund's backers have declined to release full details of the financial model just yet because "we want to gain more confidence that our model works as expected," the scheme will allow for early repayment and thus allowing developers to keep 100 per cent of subsequent revenue.

The Fund believes it can support five to six titles over the next two to three years, and is now accepting submissions. A key stipulation is that all candidates must "introduce something new to gaming," hence clones, match-3 casual and IP-based titles are ruled out.

Submissions must also be capable of turning a profit, to be made relatively quickly and projected to cost under around $200,000 - with the Fund referencing that World of Goo cost $120k to develop, and Braid $180k.

The Fund's full list of contributors is as follows:

Ron Carmel and Kyle Gabler

, 2D BOY (World of Goo)

Jonathan Blow, Number None (Braid)

Kellee Santiago, thatgamecompany (flOwer)

Nathan Vella, Capy (Critter Crunch)

Matthew Wegner, Flashbang Studios (Off-Road Velociraptor Safari)

Aaron Isaksen, AppAbove Games (Armadillo Gold Rush)

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